Chaka Khan to headline 2013 Florida AIDS Walk

For the 8th consecutive year, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, is hosting the Florida AIDS Walk and Music Festival benefitting South Florida nonprofits who provide much-needed HIV/AIDS services in the region – Chaka Khan to headline this year’s concert at Walk’s end on Ft. Lauderdale beach

The Florida AIDS Walk and Music Festival – an annual fundraising 5k walk in Ft. Lauderdale benefitting HIV/AIDS service providers and hosted by leading global nonprofit AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) – has become a highly-anticipated event both for the citizen participants and the nonprofit organizations who receive much-needed funds that allow them to serve those living with HIV in South Florida. According to the state’s department of health, there are more than 4,500 new HIV infections in Florida every year, and an estimated 135,000 Floridians are currently living with HIV.

“South Florida is a fun, vibrant region with a thriving and empowered community, but the state still ranks 3rd in HIV/AIDS infections. The need to raise awareness and funds to fight the disease must remain a high priority,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AHF. “We are very proud to once again support the Florida AIDS Walk and Music Festival to help the tireless organizations who assist those living with HIV in so many important ways.”

Popular South Florida musician Tony Cruz performing at the 2012 Florida AIDS Walk and Music Festival -- Cruz will be taking the stage again at this year's Music Festival after the 5k Walk, along with event host Sheryl Lee Ralph and headliner Chaka Khan

This year, the Walk will be punctuated by a live performance by, among other acts, 1980s pop icon Chaka Khan after the 5k procession that begins and ends at Fort Lauderdale’s South Beach Park. The walk is sponsored primarily by AHF Pharmacy, a national chain of full-service pharmacies whose proceeds fund AHF’s global work providing HIV/AIDS treatment, testing, and advocacy in 28 countries around the world. Additional supporting sponsors include Wells Fargo, Cardinal Health, Starbucks, Target, Ft. Lauderdale W and Westin Hotels, and local South Florida media outlets Clearchannel Radio’s Y100 FM, Edge, Sun Sentinel, South Florida Gay News, Hot Spots Magazine, and many more.

This year’s beneficiaries include recurring recipients AHF, Broward House, Latinos Salud, Sunserve, Minority Development and Empowerment, Inc., and The Pride Center at Equality Park as well as new local beneficiary agencies like The Village and The League Against AIDS. These organizations keep every penny of every dollar they raise themselves through sponsoring teams of Walkers in addition to receiving a monetary beneficiary gift to help support their individual missions serving the community of people living with HIV in South Florida.

I’m very excited about having the Florida AIDS Walk and Music Festival out on the beach again for the second year in a row,” said Event Director Mark Martin. “Our participants had a great time last year, and we’ve fine-tuned the event since then to make it even more enjoyable all around. Our attendees are going to have a great time walking alongside the beach, then dining on unique food from gourmet food-trucks and dancing in the sand to our incredible musical entertainment! It’s almost easy to forget that this entire day is all for the great cause of caring for our Floridian friends and neighbors who are living with HIV.”